Timely Tips For Short-Notice Home Showings

It's a seller's worst nightmare...the sink is full of
dishes, the baby is crying -- and an agent calls: "We'll be there in two
minutes. I have the perfect buyer for your house." Before that
overwhelming feeling of panic sets in, don't despair! Here's a quick roundup of
easy pick-up tips to get your house in show-time shape in minutes.﻿

Have A Game Plan

•Assign responsibility for each room to a family member. When the "last-minute dash" starts, each person knows which room to straighten. •Plan your get-away. Know where you'll go when you vacate the house for show time. Take the kids to the library, park, playground or to visit friends. Do your grocery shopping, pick up the dry cleaning or run other errands. Whole-House Strategies•Perk up your carpets. Eliminate stray crumbs and dirt with a quick pick-up by a hand-held vacuum. •Turn on the lights. Light up dark corners and hallways. Even on sunny days, rooms show better when brightly lighted. •Open curtains and blinds. Let in as much natural light and good views as possible. Kitchen Quickies •Use paper plates. A lot of people house hunt on their way home from work -- at dinner time. Eat on, then toss, paper plates to avoid unsightly dirty dishes and speed clean-up time. •Put dinner in cold storage. If you're caught with dinner on the table, shove the plates into the refrigerator. Re-heat in the microwave when prospects have gone. •Simmer some spices. Prepare a pot of cloves, cinnamon sticks and water. With only minutes to spare, bring your spices to a rapid boil, turn back immediately to simmer and your home will have a warm, inviting smell. •Try microwaving instead of baking. Keep your oven free of spatters by switching to microwave dinners. •Drain dishes in the dishwasher. Air-dry hand-washed dishes in the upper rack of the dishwasher to keep the sink and counter clutter-free. •Add sparkle and shine with spray cleaners. Wipe out cooking spills with a quick squirt of a grease-cutting spray cleaner and rub with a paper towel. Laundry Disguises •Use the washer as a hideout. Put your dirty clothes in the washer until you have time to launder. Same goes for clean clothes that you don't have time to fold -- let them sit in the dryer instead of in a messy pile. •Try a laundry-basket disguise. If you have more laundry than you know what to do with, drop it in a basket, fold two large bath towels and place on top, and presto -- laundry goes from messy to neat. "Junk" Catchers? •Use under-bed storage boxes. For last-minute pick-ups, under-bed boxes are great catch-alls for toys, books, dirty socks, etc. •Have a bail-out box. Eliminate a frantic search for keys, wallet, dog's leash and shoes when you are leaving to let the agent show the house. Keep a small box with pertinent items stashed in a handy place such as the coat-closet floor.

Make A Final Check? Run through the home room by room, from top to bottom, to make sure everything is in tip-top shape. These are just a few of the ways to make your home sparkle and shine in a matter of minutes. If you are considering selling and would like more ideas on how to make your home show in its best possible light, please give us a call!

Articles that will help you in planning...

BEFORE Note the dining room clutter..too much furniture, items on the table, picture up high

AFTER Same room, large cabinet removed, simple item on the wall, table and surface cleared! You can see yourself sitting down and talking with friends.

10 tips for selling your homeTen Tips for Selling Your Home

1. First Impressions Matter. The exterior of your home gives potential buyers the first impression and you want it to be looking its very best. Start by power washing your home to get rid of any cobwebs, dirt, or grime. Rid your driveway of any oil stains and move any old cars off the property. Focus attention on an attractive and inviting entry with a new welcome mat, potted plants, and flowers. If your front porch light is old and/or broken spend $30 and give it a facelift with a new fixture. Spruce up the landscaping, mow the grass, prune the trees and shrubs, and replace or replant where needed. 2. Inspect the Exterior and Make Obvious Repairs. Repair any peeling exterior paint , especially in the front of the home. Make sure the front door hinges and hardware work perfectly, and the doorbell too since one of the worst first impressions is a non-working doorbell. If for some reason you can’t get it to work, place a note over the doorbell that reads “Please Knock”. Sliders and doors all need to be oiled and working smoothly including the sliding screen doors too. 3. Get a Pest Inspection. This next step is proven to prevent future headaches with the sale of your home. I recommend hiring a pest inspector to examine your home for termites and water damage and provide you with a report of any active problems with the property. Once you have your report, clear all (Section 1) problems that are actively causing any problems. Hire a contractor or professional to make the repairs if necessary and have the inspector return to clear the problems in the report. This inspection can be given to any buyer who makes an offer on your home. 4. Empty the Garage. This is my favorite recommendation for sellers because it’s one of the best tips for selling your home much quicker. A garage is typically the man’s space, but both guys and gals always want to see if they have room to store their stuff and they will always look in the garage. Rent a storage unit and take everything in the garage and put it in storage for a month or two. 5. Clear Out the Clutter. Difficult as it may be for any homeowner, it’s very important to declutter and depersonalize the entire house. Buyers need to be able to visualize their furniture and their possessions in your home. Less of your stuff in your house makes the room cleaner and larger and everything seems much calmer. Less clutter enhances the architectural details or unique accents in your home too. 6. Interior Sprucing. Fresh paint on the walls is probably the best thing you can do to add appeal to the interior of the house for future buyers. Saturated colors on walls are less attractive than neutrals so as much as you love your lime green bedroom, consider painting it tan, or white. Touch up the baseboards and trim too since dirty trim and baseboards make a home look dingy. 7. Price it Right. Resist the urge to overprice your home especially in the current real estate market. Your personal attachment to your home may cause you to list the home for more than it’s worth, but you must be realistic about its true value. The ideal time for an offer is within the first 30 days, so setting the right price is key. If it’s priced too high, the home may not get showings, and you’ll be forced to reduce the price to leave buyers wondering what is wrong with your home. 8. Hire the Right Agent. Your real estate listing broker should have experience in your market. Once you have selected your agent, make sure that he or she is aware of all the selling points of your home such as upgraded appliances, air conditioning, new fixtures, modern technology, home alarms, etc. Your agent should also be aware of details about your specific neighborhood, including the schools, parks, and proximity to public services for marketing purposes. Be sure to indicate the best time of day for showing the home as well. 9. Insist on Good Marketing Photos. The pictures of your home don’t need to be magazine quality, just bright enough to show off your home at its best. Go over the photos with the agent and make sure they look how you want them to look and are taken from the best angles. Raise all the blinds, turn on the lights, and don’t be afraid to retake the photos several times to get them right. 10. Show It Well (No Pets or Bad Odors) Having a pet in the home isn’t always the best idea when showing the house to new buyers since they can be distracting. You want your buyers looking at the home and not worrying if it’s okay if the cat goes outside or if the dog is friendly or not. Pets need to be kept away from the showing, whether you take them on a walk, place them in a room away from buyers, or take them to a friend’s house while your home is on the market. Follow these tips and you’ll be sure to minimize anxiety in the process, reduce your home’s time on the market, and secure the best sales price too.